The present disclosure is related to the field of protective headgear. More specifically, the present disclosure is related to protection of the head and neck from injury due to forcible impacts.
Standard components of existing shoulder pad systems include padding and exterior impact panels and methods to secure the shoulder pad systems to the wearer. These components are flexibly connected to allow articulation of a wearer's body parts. Such a wearer may be a participant in a sporting contest that includes a risk for collisions or impacts. However, such protective components may also be used in the context of industrial or military uses which may also carry risks of collision or impact.
Head protection is an ongoing, problem in various fields, two examples of which include military combat and professional and amateur sports. Popular professional or amateur sports include American football, ice hockey, martial arts, lacrosse, field hockey, motor sports, etc. which all have the same rising incidences of concussions among players. Similar concerns of head and neck protection are present in military, industrial, and construction work settings.
Recent innovations have focused on expanding the space between the inside of a helmet shell and the head of the wearer, improving helmet surface collision effect, looser helmet fit, improved materials, soft exterior helmet layers, and brain circulation modifications directed for absorbing and dissipating impacts to the head. Despite these innovations, head and neck injuries continue in the aforementioned environments raising public and wearer awareness of head injury consequences with each new publicized injury associated with behavior problems and increased suicide rates, which can degrade willingness to serve for national security, and to engage in otherwise healthful sports which threaten the traditions and economic vitality of long standing and popular entertainment industries.